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Today's Pathway: Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Paul concluded verse 3 by using a quotation from Psalms concerning Christ's self-sacrifice to show the Roman believers how they should live sacrificial lives. In verse 4 he uses that as an opportunity to explain the importance of the Old Testament to these New Testament believers. Since he has spent so much time in this epistle teaching about the facts that the Law doesn't save and the Law doesn't make someone spiritual and the believer has been freed from the Law, it would be possible that his readers might decide that the Old Testament no longer had any value. According to Hebrews chapters 8-10 the Old Covenant has been done away with and Christ's death and resurrection has provided a new covenant. So why should the Christian concern himself with any Scriptures written before the New Testament? Paul gives the answer; they are written for our learning.

II Timothy 3:15-17 says this:

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

Paul mentions three benefits of the Old Testament. First, it teaches patience. The Greek word translated "patience" means "to stay under". This word does not simply mean that we are waiting for something to take place that happens to be delayed for a little while. It carries the idea of enduring and persevering in difficult situations. Endurance is the ability to stand up under adversity; perseverance is the ability to move forward in spite of it. Second, it gives comfort. It can be "called alongside to give assistance". It encourages us to keep going and consoles us in our times of grief. Patience and Comfort combine to give the believer Hope. "Hope" refers to the desire for something good with the expectation of obtaining it. William Barclay defined it this way,

"The Christian hope has seen everything and endured everything, and still has not despaired, because it believes in God. It is not hope in the human spirit, in human goodness, in human achievement; it is hope in the power of God."

Bruce Hurt summarized it this way:

"The Old Testament stories of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Job, and others were written so that we might see how God worked in their lives, controlling their circumstances for their good and His glory. And so we are encouraged by 'so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us', encouraged that against all 'human odds' they were able to 'run the race', to bear witness of the power of the Lord enabling them to bear up under the trials of life with a Godward attitude. They did not just grin and bear it, but endured and persevered as 'more than conquerors'. These real events in the lives of real people happened to give us real encouragement!"